Vroedschapspenning van de stad Alkmaar Possibly 1693

This is a silver ‘Vroedschapspenning van de stad Alkmaar’, or council medal of the city of Alkmaar, made by Romeyn de Hooghe sometime between 1645 and 1708. The medal's small scale belies the considerable skill required to produce it. The die-striking process, where a design is engraved into a metal die, which is then hammered into the silver blank, demands precision and control. Notice the crispness of the lettering, and the fine details in the allegorical figures and architectural elements. The choice of silver is also significant. In this period, it was not only a precious metal but also a symbol of wealth, stability, and civic pride. By investing in such objects, city councils aimed to project an image of power and prosperity. These medals acted as both functional objects and potent symbols of civic identity, forging connections between materials, making, and the social fabric of the Dutch Golden Age.